2000 STATISTICAL AND YEAR END REPORT
by Robert H. Stymeist, Statistician
During 2000, the Brookline Bird Club listed 305 species of birds on 228 reported trips, four more than last year. A total of 290 trips were scheduled, an all-time high for the Club. They broke down as follows: 73 all-day, 180 morning, 31 afternoon or evening, and six weekend trips. A very high number of trips went unreported (a gentle reminder to leaders to return the checklist provided with a stamped envelope). Sixty-two trips were not reported, of which only 16 were weather-related. In Massachusetts, the Club reported a total of 296 species on 217 trips.
One new species was added to the overall Brookline Bird Club list of birds, the Tropical Kingbird recorded on an extension of a Cape Cod trip on November 18. This bird, first found on November 8 at World’s End in Hingham, represented the first state record for this species in Massachusetts.
The Club scheduled one trip to the Dead Creek area in Vermont, famous for wintering raptors. A total of 24 Red-tailed and 16 Rough-legged hawks were noted as well as 2000 Snow Geese.
There were two weekend trips to Maine. Ida Giriunas, on her annual trip to Machias Seal Island and surroundings, led 10 members through many different habitats and recorded 98 species, including 4400 Arctic Terns, 1600 Razorbills, 40 Common Murres, 3000 Atlantic Puffins, two Boreal Chickadees and a Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow. Alan and Barbara Delorey led a trip to the Connecticut Lakes region of northern New Hampshire, one of eight trips to that state. This trip was scheduled for boreal species and the five members who joined the leaders delighted in finding Spruce Grouse, 3 Black-backed Woodpeckers, 2 Gray Jays, and 7 Boreal Chickadees among the 99 species recorded.
This year, the Club had a dramatic increase in the number of pelagic trips, scheduled primarily through the efforts of Emmalee Tarry. A total of 13 trips w